Crossing Bridges

Falling Through The Cracks
Well, there you are, with that bridge looming large right in front of you. You tried to take everyone's advice. Squelching your worry and pushing that potential problem to the back of your mind. Over and over you heard it. "Don't cross any bridges before you come to them". I understand the concept. It really is fruitless to worry about something that may or may not occur. So much of life is truly wasted on worry. It is also my experience that a person recieves much advice and consolation when the bridge is way off in the distance. So far, in fact that no one can really see it. Most times it is shrouded in a veil of fog and it's true measure is hidden. By the time you're rounding the bend and you get a good look at that bridge chances are you are on your own. By then most people have moved on to other potential bridges, in parts unknown. As it should be. Even though, that bridge you are looking at may be old and decrepit. If you wait too long to cross a bridge you run the risk of falling through the cracks. The sheer terror of facing a challenge alone may drive you to climb up and over the railing. If you find yourself standing outside of the bridge and hanging on to the edge you are quitting on yourself. Wouldn't you rather fall through a worm eaten, wooden board on a bridge you bravely crossed alone?

Rescue Helicopters
There's always the rescue 'copter you can call for emergency bridge crossing. Someone to lend you money when you overspend and your rent is due. The best friend that can never say 'no" when you are running late because you did not spend your time wisely and your kid is waiting to be picked up from school. The co-worker that will fill in for you because you burned the candle at both ends and you can't possibly get your sick head off the pillow to go to work. The grown daughter that will keep your secret when she finds out you have been e-mailing your old boyfriend and she doesn't want her dad to know. The anonymous letters you send whenever you lodge a complaint because you can't find your backbone. The tax man that helps you hide income that you know you should report. The people that you pay off to help you run an illegal business because you can never earn enough money. When your rescue helicopters begin to fly away and they will, the next bridge you come across may be formidable. All of your rescuers will be too busy crossing their own bridges by that time.

Gliding Across Bridges
The key to artful bridge gliding is to live with integrity. At some point everyone will face adversity. It is so much easier to manuveur through difficulty when you have nothing to hide. The less baggage you have to drag across that bridge the better. The survival rate is much greater even when crossing the oldest of bridges. Honesty is the ticket to the fastest passage. Will it be easy? No. On the other hand, crossing a bridge while you are tangled up in a web of deciet may very well lead to an accidental hanging. Untangling yourself and crossing unencumbered is the best way to go. At this point, it's either that or dig yourself a hole. Even if you fall down, and scuff your knees or bruise your ego getting over that bridge is the only way to freedom.

The Other Side
The best part about getting over the bridge is what's on the otherside. Whatever it is it has to be better than where you have just come from. There is nothing like facing a problem head on and getting yourself through it. No rescuers, no excuses and no one to blame or rely on but yourself. All of those people that counseled you not to cross that bridge before you came to it will be the first ones to greet you when it's finally behind you. I guarantee the crossing will be long, lonely and difficult. If you can stand facing the truth of your situation and drag yourself over that bridge your feet will hit new untrodden ground. At that point, throw off your shoes and wiggle your toes in that fresh earth. Suck in that cool clean air of freedom and start over again. Remember the life lessons that you learned along the way. Over time that bridge will become nothing but a speck when you look back over your shoulder. Hopefully, if you learned anything you've got blue skies and rainbows on the horizon.